Corn-husking device.



No. 746,647. PATENTBD 1120,. a, 19053;.

w. L. SWITZER.

CORN HUSKING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 27, 1 903.

LTD MODEL.

UNIT D STATES Patented December 8, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

CORN-HU'SKINGDEVICE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N0. 746,647, dated December 8, 1903.

Application filed April 27, 1903.

'a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in corn-husking devices, and belongs to the class of huskers. applied to the hand of the user to aid in opening the husks and stripping them from the ears of corn.

My objectis to provide a device of this class which shall be simple in construction, economical in cost, reliable, durable, and efficient in use; and to these ends the invention consists of the features hereinafter described and claimed, all of which will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment V thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved device. Fig. 2 is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 1. i Fig. 3 is a detail View showing a piece of leather which may be employed to form finger-loops for retaining the device in place on the hand.

This is a plan view showing the shape of the blank employed in forming the finger-loops before applying it to the device, the necessary holes being formed at the time the blank is cut. Fig. 4 shows the finger-loops formed from the blank illustrated in Fig. 3. In this view the rod of the device which passes through the holes of the blank to form the loops is shown in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a back view illustrating the device, on a smaller scale, applied to the hand and showing the manner of protecting the knuckles by the leather loops. Fig. 6 illustrates a modified form of the device, showing the manner of using it on a glove or mitten. Fig. 7 is a de- Serial No. 154,573. (No model.)

tail view, on a larger scale, illustrating the form of device shown in Fig. 6.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, let the numeral 5 designate a rod, preferably formed from a piece of steel wire of suitable size. This rod is pointed at one end, as shown at 5*, and'bent back on itself to form a loop 5, terminating in a hook 5 at the opposite end. Leather finger-loops A, A, B, and B are applied to the rod in a manner best illustrated in Fig. 4, after which the loop holding or fastening device 6 is attached to the rod. This fastening device consists of a narrow plate whose body portion occupiesa position parallel with the rod. (See Fig. 1.) One extremity of this plate is bent, as shown at 6 and provided with an opening to allow the pointed extremity of the rod to pass therethrough, whereby this part 6 of the plate is located forward of the loop A, the extremity of the device farther to the left in Figs. 1 and 2 being for convenience considered the forward extremity. Hence the extremity 6 of the plate prevents the loops from slipping off over the pointed end of the rod. The opposite or rear extremity of the plate 6* is provided with a number of openings 6, adapted to be engaged by the hook 5 of the rod 5, whereby the plate 6 is held securely in place on the rod. There is a number of holes 6 to permit adjustment of the plate on the rod to fit or cause the device to conform to hands of varying size. In order to allow the hook to enter a hole 6 of the plate, the loop 5 is raised or moved outwardly from the-rod far enough to permit the plate 5' to enter, after which the release of the loop causes the hook 6 to enter whichever opening is brought into a position coinciding with that of the hook.

The form of blank shown in Fig. 3 for forming the finger-loops is provided with openings 0 O, D D, and E E. At the ends of the blank, near the openings E E, a portion of the blank is cut out, as shown at F F, forming a circular opening in theblank at one extremity of each division-line H H, separating the parts A and B and the parts A and B.

This blank is designed with reference to its utility when applied to the device, since by reason of its peculiar shape the loops are arranged to protect the knuckles of the fingers, the loops B and B being nearer the finger ends than the loops A and A, whereby the loops are made to engage the knuckles of all the fingers. (See Fig. 5.)

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the blank is applied to the rod before the plate 6 is connected with the latter. The manner of applying the leather blank to the rod to form the finger-loops is as follows: The part A is first turned under and drawn downwardly (referring to the bottom of the sheet of drawings) or to the position best shown in Fig. 4c. The point or forward extremity of the rod is then passed through two of the openings 0, then through the opening E, thence through two openings D D, the parts B B being looped or bent as the rod is passed through the said openings. The part A is then turned under and drawn downwardly to bring it into line with the loop A, after which the rod is passed through the openings E and then through two openings 0, after which the fastening-plate 6 is applied in the manner heretofore explained. By having a number of openings 0 C D D the loops may be formed to fit fingers of different sizes.

The blank shown in Fig. 3 forms an attractive design and is calculated to attract attention, since the manner of applying it to the rod is not obvious. Hence the particular form of blank not only posseses inherent utility, but may be employed as a puzzle whose solution requires the applying of the blank to the rod in a manner heretofore explained.

The form of the device shown in Figs. 6and 7 is formed from a single piece of steel wire and comprises two parallel rod parts 8 and 9, a bend 10, and a-loop 12. The part 8 is longer than the part 9, and its free extremity is suitably sharpened in order that it may better pierce the layers of husks inclosing the cornears. The bend 10 is remote from the forward extremity of the rod 8, and the loop 12 is formed in the forward extremity of the rod part 9 and is bent around the rod 8 at a suitable distance from the forward extremity of the latter. By detaching the rod part 8 from the loop 12 the rod 8 may be applied to a glove or mitten, as shown in Fig. 6, after which the loop is again sprung over the rod, whereby the device is held securely in place. The blank shown in Fig. 3 may also be applied to this form of the device in a manner that will be readily understood from the explanation heretofore given.

If desired, the blank shown in Fig. 3 may be divided on the line m a: to form two twin parts.

Attention is called to the fact that the narrow plate 6 (illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings) not only holds the finger-loops securely in place on the rod, but also protects the said loops from wear incident to use. This is quite an important feature, since the wear on unprotected leather loops would evidently be considerable in husking corn. Attention is also called to the fact that the blank shown in Fig. 3 may be applied to the husking device in a manner adapted to protect the knuckles of either hand in the manner shown in Fig. 5. The arrangementshown in Fig. 4: is adapted for useon the right hand; but by reversing the blank when applying it to the device the finger-loops will be-arranged to properly protect the knuckles for the left hand. As shown in Fig. 4, the two loops A and A are so turned that the outside or exposed face of the leather (see Fig. 3) is outermost, while the inside of the leather or that concealed in Fig. 3 is outermost in the loops B and B. Now by reversing this arrangement, so that the inside of the leather shall be exposed in loops A and A and the outside in loops B and B, the loops will be arranged for the left hand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. As an improved article of manufacture,a corn-husking device comprising two parallel parts, namely a main rod and a fasteningpiece, the two parts being suitably connected at their rear extremities, the forward extremity of the shorter part having an opening through which the longer part passes,Whereby the two parts are held in suitable operative relation when the device is in use, the said opening in the forward extremity of the shorter part having an outlet on one side to permit the longer part to pass in and out by a lateral movement, the longer part extending forwardly beyond the loop, and a finger-loop piece mounted on the longer part for the purpose set forth.

2; A corn-husking device comprising a rod part bent upon itself and formed into a hook at one extremity, and a part whose main portion extends parallel with the rod and is apertured at both extremities, the point of the rod passing through the opening atone extremity and the hooked part of the rod engaging an opening at the opposite extremity.

3. A corn-husker comprising a rod formed at one extremity into a loop terminating in a hook; and a part for fastening the rod to a glove, mitten or finger-loop piece, said lastnamed part comprising a narrow plate whose body portion lies parallel with the body portion of the rod, one extremity of the plate being bent and apertu red to receive the straight part of the rod, and the other portion having openings adapted to receive the hooked end of the rod.

4. A corn-h usker comprising a main part, a fastening part and a finger-loop piece, the latter being applied to the main part and held in place by the fastening part, the fastening ICC part being detachable from the main part at ing divided longitudinally to form two conone extremity to permit the finger-loop piece .nected loop parts. I to be placed in position on and removed from In testimony whereof I aflix my signature the main part. 1 in presence of two witnesses.

5. A finger-loop blank for a corn-basking WILLIAM L. SWITZER. device, consisting of an integral piece of fiexi- Witnesses: ble material, shaped to form twin ovals, the DENA NELSON, two ovals being connected, and each oval be- A. J. OBRIEN. 

